Determining the angle of impact of an object on a structure is an important parameter in assessing the amount of damage caused by the impact. Currently only one method is available for determining the angle of impact of an object against a structure, high speed photography. This method requires a great deal of equipment and produces data which requires a great deal of time to analyze.
Presently, the acoustic emission technique is being used to assess damage caused by the impact of an object, however, this technique as now used does not provide information about the angle of impact.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method for determining the angle of impact of an object on a structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for determining the angle of impact of an object on a thin-walled structure which is independent of the geometry of the structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for determining the angle of impact of an object on a structure which provides data that is easily and quickly analyzed.
It is another object of the present invention to achieve the foregoing objects in a simple manner.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the drawings and specification which follow.